"I felt really calm," Lane Kiffin described his emotions after watching his team fall behind 14-0 within three minutes of kickoff. It's hard to imagine a worse start to a game than the Trojans feeding the Utes a pair of touchdowns in an already raucous atmosphere, but the team followed its head coach and remained placid, yet resilient. "I think it just shows the character of the guys on our team and the willingness to fight," said captain Matt Barkley. The 38-7 run that followed could end up being a turning point in the season. "I do feel like they are coming together as a team," Kiffin said.

A Real Man

Senior captain Khaled Holmes called the team together in the post-game locker room. He apologized to his teammates for the two early miscues that put the Trojans in a hole. He also thanked them for having his back and vowed that it would never happen again. "I think we have a heckuva man in our locker room that plays center for us," said Kiffin about Holmes. Despite the disastrous start, Holmes was a huge factor in the comeback as he led an offensive line that allowed zero sacks for the second straight game and quieted Utah DT Star Lotulelei.

Barkley's Best

The quarterback called the game his most satisfying of the season. He was rocked early on by having the ball ripped out of his hands for a Utah touchdown, but Matt Barkley showed exceptional composure and poise to rally the troops. He finished the night 23/30 for 303 yards and 3 TDs/0 INT. Plus, the 83-yard touchdown pass to Marqise Lee was the longest of his career.

The Knockout Punch

Barkley's majestic rainbow to Lee all but put an end to the competition. "I thought it was a great set-up," Barkley said about the play. "Our running game had been doing really well." With the threat of run, USC was finally able to loosen a defense over the top and seal the deal. Lee finished the game with 12 catches for 192 yards.

Real Deal Robey

Utah challenged Nickell Robey tonight, and the Trojans best corner responded with 7 tackles, a forced fumble and a pick-six. The interception was delivered to Robey on a plate courtesy of DE Morgan Breslin who blew the play up with his relentless pass rush. "Everything is starting with the defensive line," said Robey. "They are getting a lot of pressure on the quarterback. They are making it easier for the guys on the back end."

Wobbly Woods

Robert Woods delivered a huge block on a punt return, but he also knocked himself silly on the play. The wide receiver staggered to his feet, tried to run and then fell flat on his stomach. The incident was scary at the time, but Woods shook it off quickly. He answered all the concussion quiz questions correctly on the sideline and then jumped right back into the action. "He's so competitive that I don't think you can slow him down in situations like that," said Kiffin about Woods, who finished with six catches for 69 yards and a TD.

Two-point conversion...

Flag Unhappy

The offense hit its best rhythm of the season during the final three quarters, but penalties kept the Trojans from putting up a monster number. "Obviously, the penalties were completely disappointing. 14... That's ridiculous. That's not who we want to be," Kiffin said.

Next Man Up

D.J. Morgan was a savior tonight. Just like at Stanford, USC lost its top two running backs to injury, but this time Morgan was available to step up in his first game back from knee surgery. "D.J. Morgan did really well. I thought he ran hard," said Kiffin. He carried it nine times for 46 yards (5.1 yards per rush). Here is Morgan after the game...